Washing machine



Feb. 11, 1941. J KESSEL 2,231,073

WASHING MACHINE Original Filed Ju1y l4, 1937 Patented Feb. 11,1941

PATENT OFFICE WASHING MACHINE Johannes B. Kessel, Chicago, Ill.

Substitute for'abandoned application Serial No. 153,461, July 14, 1937. This application January 12, 1939, Serial No. 250,592

13 Claims.

This application is a substitute application for abandoned application Serial #153,461 filed July This invention relates to improvements in machines particularly adapted, though not necessarily limited in use, for washing dishes, clothes, or other articles and which may be employed with equal efficiency as a mixing machine for mixing liquids, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved machine of this character in which the usual agitator thatprojects into the liquid to agitate the same, and which also engages and agitates the articles being cleaned,

is dispensed with.

A further object is to provide a machine of this character wherein there is employed a suction fan or device disposed above the liquid and the articles being cleaned, and which operates to draw up the liquid by suction and then deliver the same with considerable force and pressure against the sides of the liquid holding receptacle and also against the articles, thereby causing a violent 1 agitation and circulation of the liquid.

A further object is toprovide a machine of this character which will be of a simple, durable, cheap and compact construction and effective and eflicient in operation.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing illustrating this invention and in which- Figure l is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of a machine of this character constructed in accordance with the principles. of this invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the top or cover of the receptacle.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of the cover or receptacle and the suction creating device.

member which may be employed for preventing swirling of the liquid.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the

To that end, the lower or open portion of the Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the.

be detachable 7 closure is adapted to telescope into the top of the receptacle III as at I2 and a bead or flange I3 may be provided on the closure to limit the extent to which the closure will telescope into the receptacle and to form a fluid tight joint to' prevent the liquid from splashing or being forced out of the receptacle.

Mounted upon the closure I0 is a motor It, the rotor of which operates upon a vertical axis and the shaft l5of the rotor projects through a suitable opening in the top of the closure II and extends for a substantial distance into the closure. The opening in the closure.-throughwhich the shaft I5 projects is preferably only slightly larger than the diameter of the projecting portion of the shaft.

The motor may be encased in a suitable housing l6 removably secured to the closure in any desired or suitable maner, preferably by means of bolts l1 passing through the closure from the inside thereof and entering the wall of the housing i6, thereby rendering it possible, if desired,

to detach the motor and housing Hi from the closure, at the same time concealing the fastening bolts ll.

A suction fan is secured to the shaft I5 within the closure II. This fan may be of any desired or suitable construction but preferably consists of an apertured body 18 preferably in the form of a-disc, and secured to the body l8 are blades l9 which preferably terminate short of the diametric center of the disc to form a suction space 20. The disc or body portion I8 is preferably secured to a hub 2! into which the shaft 15 projects and the two are secured together in any suitable manner such as by means of a screw or bolt 22 to cause the same to rotate in unison, and the disc or body portion I8 is preferably disposed a short distance from the face of the crown of the closure II to form an air circulation space 23. therebetween.

In order to facilitate handling of the closure suitable handles 24 may be provided thereon.

Obviously the motor may be driven from any suitable source of power, such as by means of conductors (not shown), which may be connected to any suitable source of supplyof current.

In use, the desired amount of liquid is placed within the container or receptacle l0 together with the articles to be cleaned. If, however, the

machine is to be employed for mixing liquids, time liquids to be mixed are put into the receptacle The closure fl is then placed in position and the motor operated to rotate the suction creating device.

The speed of rotation of,the suction creating device will create a suction within the machine and will raise a portion of the liquid toward the suction creating device and at the same time the thereof.

pressure created by the suction device will deflect or cause the liquid to be discharged or delivered with considerable force or pressure downwardly against the sides of the closure as well as downwardly into the receptacle Ill causing a violent circulation oi air and liquid within the machine. The disc or body portion l8 of the suction creating device acts as a separator for the air and liquid, the air being drawn up into the space 20 and through the apertures or perforations in the disc or body portion IQ into the space from where it will fiow outwardly toward the wall of the closure and will be directed downwardly and back again intothe receptacle l0.

Thus it will be seen that with, this construction the liquid will have a circulation somewhat in the path of movement as indicated by the arrows marked W, while the air will have a circulation somewhat in the paths indicated by the arrows marked A.

If desired, and in order to prevent the formation of eddies or a rotation of the liquid in the receptacle l0, any suitable means may be provided for breaking up or preventing such circulation.

A simple and efiicient means embodies anelement as shown in Figure 4. This element may be of any desired or suitable construction and of any desired height and constructed of any suitable material, and preferably comprises an annular body portion 25 having radially projecting wings or ribs projecting from the periphery These wings or ribs, any number of which maybe provided, are laterally spacedfrom each other, and the element is placed within the receptacle III to rest upon the bottom thereof. The element is of such a length that the extremities of the blades or wings 26 will be disposed in close proximity to the wall of the receptacle l0 so as to prevent the same from rotating bodily in the receptacle.

It will be manifest that with a device of this character the same may be placed upon a stove or over a heating element so that the contents of the receptacle may be heated during the operation of the machine.

While the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various change may be made in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a machine of the character described, .a single container having imperforate side and bottom walls and in which container the liquid and the articles to be cleaned are directly confined,

a closure for the container sealing it against admission of air, a suction creating device housed within the machine and supported by said closure, and actuating .means for the said suction creating device, supported by the closure outside of the machine and operatively connected with said suction creating means through said closure, substantially the entire area of the sucagainst admission of air, a portion of the closure telescoping with the container, a suction creating within the machine and supported by said closure,and actuating means for thesaid suction creating device, supported by the closure outside of the machine and operatively connected with said suction creating means through said closure, 6 said suction creating device comprising a fan rotating about an upright axis, substantially the entire area of the suction creating device and of the container below and in proximity to the suction creating device being free from obstructions.

3. In a machine of the character described, a single container having imperforate side and bottom walls and in which container the liquid and the articles to be cleaned are directly confined, a dome shaped closure therefor sealing the container against admission of air, a suction fanv disposed within and inclose proximity to the crown of said closure, and a motor supportedby and outside of said closure, said motor embodying a shaft extending through said closure and to which shaft said fan is connected to rotate about an upright axis, said fan being of a diameter considerably less than the interior diameter of said dome, substantially the entire area of said 25 fan and of the container below in proximity to the fan being free from obstructions.

4. In a machine of the character described, a single container having imperforate side and bottom walls and in which container the liquid 30 and the articles to be cleaned are directly confined, a dome shaped closure therefor sealing the container against admission of air, a suction fan disposed within and in close proximity to the crown of said closure, and a motor sup= ported by and outside of said closure, said motor embodying a shaft extending through said closure and to which shaft said fan is connected to rotate about an upright axis, said fan being of a diameter considerably less than the interior diameter of said dome, the body of said fan comprising a perforated plate and said blades being disposed at right angles to said plate and terminating considerably short of the diametric center of the plate, whereby the fan will create a suction adjacent its axis and a pressure adjacent the periphery thereof, substantially the entire area of said fan and of the container below in proximity to the fan being free from obstructions.

5. In a machine of the character described, a single container having imperforate side and bottom walls and in which container the liquid and the articles to be cleaned are confined, a dome shaped closure therefor sealing the container fan disposed within and adjacent the crown of said closure and of a diameter considerably smaller than the diameter of the encompassing portion of the closure, said fan rotating about an upright axis, and means for rotating said fan from the outside of said closure, whereby the liquid and air will be drawn up by suction, separated and the liquid discharged adjacent the container wall while the air and liquid are maintained in the same chamber with the article being cleaned.

6. In a machine of thecharacter described, a single container having lmperforate side and bottom walls and in which container the liquid and 7 the articles to be cleaned are directly confined, a closure for the container sealing the same against the admission of air, means within the machine disposed above a liquid level therein and operating when actuated to create a suction, lifting a portion of the fluid in the form of a spray, and creating a pressure forcing the fluid downwardly and back into the container, and means for actuating the first recited means from the outside of the machine, the first said means embodying a fan device rotatable on a vertical axis, and comprising a body plate and blades arranged at right angles thereto, said blades disposed within the confines of the periphery of the plate and terminating considerably short of the diametric center of the plate, substantially the entire area. of the said suction creating means and of the container below and in proximity to the suction means being free from obstructions, the liquid being maintained and circulated within the confines of the container.

7. A machine of the character described embodying a single container having an open top and in which container the liquid and the articles to be cleaned are directly confined, a closure for the container sealing the same against admission of air, a suction creating device housed within the machine and supported by said closure above the liquid level, said suction creating device provided with imperforate blades, and actuating means for said suction creating device also supported by said closure, substantially the entire area of said suction creating device and of the container below and in proximity to the said suction creatin device being free from obstructions.

8. A machine of the character described emrection of movement, substantially the entire area of the suction creatingdevice and of the container below and in proximity to the suction creating device being normally unobstructed, actuating means for said suction creating device also supported by said closure, said suction creating device operating to draw up'and separate air and liquid and discharge the liquid back against the liquid in the container tending to impart a swirling movement to the latter, and means within the container for maintaining the liquid in the container against a whirling movement, the last said means being freely removable from the container.

9. A machine of the character described embodying a single container forming a chamber having an open'top and in which chamber the liquid and the articles to be cleaned are directly confined and supported upon a common bottom, a'closure for the chamber sealing the same against the entrance of air, a suction creating device housed within the machine and suported by said closure above the liquid level, substantially the entire area of the suction creating device and of, the container below and in proximity to the suction creating device being free from obstruction and actuating means for said suction creating device also supported by said closure, the fluids circulated by the operation of said suction creating device being at all time maintained within the said chamber.

10. In amachine of the character described, a container in which the articles to be cleaned and the liquid are directly confined, a closure for the container sealing the latter againust entrance of air, a suction fan supported by the closure above the liquid level and provided with imperforate blades, means for rotating the fan, substantially the entire area of said Ian and of the container below and in proximity to the fan being free from obstructions, said fan having a constant direction of rotation and operating to draw the liquid into the center thereof to form a vortex against the article being cleaned, and also operating to discharge the liquid from said vortex radially and against the wall of the container back against the liquid in the container to create a swirling movement of the liquid.

11. In a machine of the character described, a container in'which the liquid and the articles to be cleaned are directly confined, a dome shaped closure for the container sealing the latter against entrance of air, a suction creating device disposed within the dome and supported thereby, said dome. and container for substantially the entire area of the suction creating device and of the container below and in proximity to the suction creating device being free from obstruction, and actuating means for the suction creating device supported by and On the outside of the machine, said suction device embodying a fan having a constant direction of movement rotatable on a vertical axis, and of a diameter considerably less than the diameter of the said dome, the blades of the fan being imperforate and the central portion thereof being removed, whereby upon rotation of the fan a vortex of the liquid will be formed and the liquid will be forced by pressure radially from the fan and against the dome.

,12. For use in a washing machine, a dome shaped closure sealing the same against entrance of air, a fan centrally mounted in the closure in close proximity to the dome and completely housed thereby, said fan being rotatable on an upright axis, said fan being of a diameter considerably less than the adjacent portion of the dome, and means mounted on the outside of the dome for rotating the fan, said fan having imperforate blades, the ends of the blades adjacent the axis 'of the fan being removed, whereby when said fan is operated a suction will be created at the inner periphery of the fan and a blast at the outer periphery and against the wall of the dome.

13. In a machine of the character described, a container open only at its top, a closure for the container sealing the container against entrance of air, a suction creating device disposed. within the container and supported by said closure, actuating means for said suction creating device and supported by said closure outside of said container and operatively connected with said suction creating device through said closure, substantially the entire area of the suction creating device and of the container below the suction creating device and in proximity to the latter being free from obstructions whereby upon opera tion of said suction creating device air and liquid will be drawn up and separated thereby, the liquid being directed downwardly and outwardly back again toward the supply of liquid in the container causing a swirling movement to be imparted to the liquid in the container.

JOHANNES B. KESSEL. 

